Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Hello, Brooklyn. What a joy to be gathered here today with you all. And I want to thank the Brooklyn Community Pride Center for hosting us. A big round of applause. Since this space was founded in 2008, it has grown into a community hub that provides essential health care and housing resources. While also offering queer New Yorkers a place to learn, find fellowship, and build community. Across our five boroughs, this is the story of queer New York. A story of adversity overcome, of solidarity shown, of resilience and resourcefulness against enormous odds.
That story has been told by leaders whose names we know, as well as by New Yorkers whose names have been lost to history but who organize pride marches and act up protests, by those who held the hands of the sick and the dying, [and] by those who filled our city with joy and expression. It has been told by trans activists like Cecilia Gentili — whose legacy lives on, and — the many leaders she inspired, some of whom are in this very room. And I also must say thank you to the many organizers, the advocates, [and] the service providers here today for the work that you have done to allow this moment to come forth.
We are also joined by a number of leaders here with us. I want to first acknowledge the co-chair of the City Council LGBTQ Caucus, Council Member Justin Sanchez. I want to acknowledge — we have our assembly member, Tony Simone. And we have — state senator and former roommate of mine, Jabari Brisport. And we also have leaders within our own administration. We have our Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice, Julie Su. And we have standing alongside me — but I do want to say an acknowledgment to my left of [me] our Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah, who's here with us.
So today we are not only founding our city's first office for LGBTQIA+ affairs. We are also appointing our first director. This day was a long time coming. It took years of activism from community leaders who recognized how often queer New Yorkers fall through the cracks while attempting to access our city's social services. As they organized and called for change, they drew on the legacy of the countless queer leaders who had come before.
Leaders like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who founded STAR House, a place trans New Yorkers could go to be safe, [and] to be comfortable in the city that was theirs. Today, as City Hall creates an office that dedicates itself to protecting the health, safety, and dignity of queer New Yorkers, it is only because of all those who have fought for the rights and support that they deserve. This new office will build on the good work of the Unity Project, and what we are doing is to create a central office solely focused on the well-being of queer New Yorkers so that their needs may be better met by every city agency across our administration.
This work, frankly, could not come at a more urgent time. New York City is home to the largest number of queer people in our country. They face higher rates — well, it is worthy of applause. It is something that we are proud of. And yet we know that queer New Yorkers face higher rates of homelessness and job insecurity. They often have more trouble accessing quality health care and city services. And they frequently encounter discrimination or a dearth of providers properly trained to care for them in health care settings. This office will be tasked with leading cross-agency policy design and coordination across government so that no New Yorker is forgotten or ignored.
At a time when federal rollbacks and state-level bills are targeting the queer and trans community with a pointed cruelty, it is our responsibility as New Yorkers to step up and take care of our own. The person who leads that work must possess an unwavering commitment to queer New Yorkers, which is why I am so proud to announce that Taylor Brown will serve as the first director of the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs. Taylor and her lovely family [are] here with us today. Taylor most recently served as the Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Bureau [at] the Office of the New York State Attorney General, where she led investigations into unlawful discrimination against trans New Yorkers.
She began her legal career at Lambda Legal, worked as a staff attorney at the ACLU, and served as lead counsel on civil rights-focused federal cases, including Hersom v. Crouch, which led the state of West Virginia to require safe and accurate birth certificate amendments for trans people. She will lead this work with empathy and compassion. Also, because it is personal to her, Taylor will be the first out trans woman to lead a city office in New York City history. And I want to ask — I know that some already are, but if you are here to cover this event, I would ask you to shift your focus from us up here to all those who are here with us today.
Because in all of the language of firsts, we often elide over the many whose work and whose trailblazing brought us to this moment. And so many of them are here in this crowd with us today. It is an honor to have you here. It is an honor to be able to build upon that which you have done in times that have often been so lonely and so difficult. And I want you to know that without that work, we would not stand here today. We would not even have the language with which we use today to advocate for those very New Yorkers.
And as I am looking out here, I also recognize another leader who is here with us, which is our assembly member, Phara Souffrant Forrest, in whose district we are in. But as we build a city where a life of dignity is within reach for all New Yorkers and where New York City remains a global haven for queer life, we are fortunate to have Taylor's leadership. We follow in a rich tradition today, one of New Yorkers fighting for one another, envisioning a more just society, and standing alongside those who are so often left to stand alone. City Hall will stand with queer New Yorkers today. City Hall will stand with queer New Yorkers tomorrow. And City Hall will stand with queer New Yorkers every day that is still to come. Thank you. And now, I will pass it over to our commissioner, Afua Atta-Mensah.
Afua Atta-Mensah, Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice: Thank you all. Good afternoon, Brooklyn. You know, I'm not going to keep us from the main event, which is welcoming this amazing new director into our fold in City government, but I will just simply say that our struggles against racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia are inextricably linked. And I could not be more excited to be in deep partnership with this amazing director, Taylor, as we work together to fight for dignity for all New Yorkers. And with that, our newest director.
Taylor Brown, Director, Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs: Wow. Well, thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you, commissioner. And thank you all for being here today. My heart is so warm to see you all here, and all the smiles, and just such a big crowd. It means so much to me when I think about everything that I've been through in my life to get to this place. We have a very tight schedule, as I'm sure many of you know, and especially our politicians and local elected leaders.
But I have to start out with so many thank you’s. And I will first start out with the three biggest mentors in my life. Commissioner Demoya Gordon, who is now an Illinois human rights commissioner; Dru Levasseur, [a] pioneering trans civil rights attorney; [and] Tara Borelli, Lambda Legal senior counsel, who truly saw me as a young law student, invested in me, and made very much this possible for me and so many other trans people in the country, in terms of fighting for our civil rights.
I, of course, also want to thank my OAG family, the incredible Attorney General Letitia James. You know, Mr. Mayor is very — you know — I will say y'all are tied in terms of leadership. So, they are truly, truly, truly people who have inspired me and made me want to do this work in a different kind of way — and to me — and as I've been thinking about it, a more important way. And so, I'm so thrilled to be joining this administration at this moment to do this work.
I also want to thank my bureau chief, the Civil Rights Bureau’s, Sandra Park, who is here today. And then I also, of course, want to thank my family who is here today, my dad, my stepmom, and then, of course, obviously, my grandmother, who is the most important person to me. And then, of course, [the] last of the thank you’s to my friends who are here: Stefan, Sam, Sam S [and] H, Elodia Famba, everyone who's here. You know that I love you — Esther — thank you all so much for being here.
You are my chosen family. Thank you for choosing me. You have made my life incredible, and I could not be here without you. But as we all know too well, the queer community, as well as intersecting communities and adjacent communities, are under extreme attack in this country from all angles, it seems, from the highest levels of government to society in general and to even sometimes people that we consider friendly fire, unfortunately. And so now more than ever in this moment, it is so critical, I think, to have trans leadership because New York City is where the LGBTQ civil rights movement started. As Mayor Mamdani mentioned, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Lorena Borjas, all of these people are the people that I stand on the shoulders of the ability to lead this work and in their memory to do amazing things for the people and especially the queer community of New York City.
And again, I also just want to say too, these attacks will not be tolerated in New York City or New York State. They do not reflect our values. They do not reflect who we are as people. And so, that is something that I want to make sure that we all understand, that this is not a culture war. We are not the enemy. We are your neighbors. We are lawyers. We are parents. We are in your communities. And we want the same things as everyone else, and we deserve the same things as everyone else. And that's what this administration is about for all people, not just queer people, but especially, again, in this moment, LGBTQ New Yorkers.
And I'm so proud of Mayor Mamdani for having the initiative to launch this office. Again, it has been long overdue and shows a true commitment and an investment in our communities at a time when, again, as I said, we have seen so much progress lost in what we've been able to do for the rights of transgender people, but also, again, all queer New Yorkers.
And I will say this too. New York City has given me everything. I moved here [in] August 2014, having never been to New York City before in my life, but I knew that I needed a law degree, and I knew that I needed health care. And so, there was no better place for me to come. And New York City has been the place that has given me, again, life-saving health care, my education, a career, my chosen family, a home, a life of purpose, and a life of opportunity. And that's truly what I want for all people, and that is what we are going to make happen for all people. And I'm so excited to be leading that work.
Again, we have many challenges ahead. We have many challenges ahead, but I want you to look across this administration. You know, Mayor Mamdani announced some of the folks here. I met with Deputy Mayor Su, of course, [and] Commissioner Atta-Mensah, and I have just been so impressed with the work that they have done in their careers and what they are bringing to the City of New York and what we're going to do in collaboration.
To my friends, new and old in the community, I ask for your patience as we get things moving. I understand firsthand how serious things are right now, and they've always been serious, but I want to assure you that we have been working on the front lines of these threats, and we'll continue to do so. And my office will be committed to the values that infuse Mayor Mamdani's administration: transparency, kindness, innovation, courage, and equity.
And it will truly be a community-centered and community-led office because, again, that is where I'm from, that is in my heart, and that is where I know that we will be doing the best work. And then I'm going to end with two special messages. First, to all my Black and brown trans family, especially the Black trans women, I see you. I see you. And I am you, and I will never stop fighting for us. The future is bright, the future is near, and the future is for us all. This is your administration, and we have your back. Coming from OAG, I know the state has your back, and we are not only at the table, [but] we are leading it, and we're going to be eating. So, I want everyone to be excited.
And finally, I am really going to read this part. You know, normally I try to prepare these remarks, but this is so important, and so I am going to read it, and I want everyone to hear. To all the trans young people out there, it's going to be okay. I know it feels hard right now, and that is because it is, and I'm sorry that some people in power, instead of doing what they need to do in terms of facilitating you thriving in this country and in this state and in this city, have failed you.
But I want you to know that you also have people in power, and we are not just people of power. We are people of purpose. And I just want you to know, we're working every day and, in every way, to protect and support you, and I'm so humbled and proud that I get to continue to do that in such a visible capacity. And I know it may seem easy to say that standing here, but it will be okay, and I know that because I've lived it. So, while it will not be easy, and while it will take time, it will be okay, and I just want you to know that you can be whoever you want to be in this world.
Just stay strong, never stop asking for what you need, and stay true to who you know yourself to be. And we will weather this storm together. We will come out on the other side better than ever, and I'm so excited to connect with you all as we get the great work of this office going. And again, thank you to everyone who made this appointment possible.
Question: I know in the prelim budget you didn’t have any money allocated to this office. I assume this will be [inaudible] how much are you planning to allocate to this office?
Mayor Mamdani: So there will absolutely be money allocated for this office; it’s why we're starting this office, and I think also what we've made clear in the process of creating this office is that it is one that, as our new director said, is going to be imbued with purpose. There is a work that will be done through this office, a work to protect LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers. And in terms of the exact amounts and things of that nature, that's going to be subject to the discussions we have in the weeks and months to come in advance of the executive budget.
Question: And my second question, I know the Law Department announced today that they'd be cutting off taxpayer-funded legal representation for Tim Pearson and Jeff Maddrey. Steve Banks said this was after new evidence came out. Can you elaborate on what that new evidence is?
Mayor Mamdani: So, what I can tell you is that the decision regarding the former Adams administration officials and their entitlement to city representation was made independently by the Corporations Counsel. It was not a decision that I sought to direct or influence in any manner. They do, however, have my full confidence in their work and the determinations that they land on.
Question: I'm curious how you see the city's role, potentially this office's role, in responding to actions like NYU Langone and other health institutions moving to end gender-affirming care. And I'm wondering if the city has a role in responding to that, and if you've talked about that at all in discussions with President Trump.
Mayor Mamdani: I think the city has a role in standing up for the rights of New Yorkers and ensuring the compliance with the law. And that is regardless of who impedes upon it. And I made very clear my opposition to the decisions made by NYU Langone. I will continue to make that clear as the mayor of our city. And I am frankly looking forward to working with our new director on seeing the many ways our city can stand up for queer and trans New Yorkers.
And when it comes to the president, I will continue to be honest about the fact that we have many disagreements and that we are honest with each other about those disagreements. And for me, the question always comes back to how I can better serve the City of New York. And the City of New York would not be the city that it is without queer and trans New Yorkers who call it home.
Question: I wanted to ask about something that came up at your Iftar yesterday. You mentioned Vickie Paladino, a Texas congressman, [and] a senator from Alabama. You were saying that you feel disheartened when the bigotry like what those elected officials have expressed goes unchecked. Do you think it's time for the Council to expel Vickie Paladino, or are you going to call on them to do that?
Mayor Mamdani: I'm heartened by the actions that the Council is taking. I will leave the Council to answer further questions on the specificity. I know they are currently undertaking a process. I will say, however, that yes, it is disheartening. It is worthy of despair for many of us as to what has become acceptable as political discourse in our city and in our country. And I do not say this because it targets me. The reason it's of concern, frankly, is that it targets more than a million people who happen to be Muslim in the city that they call home.
And yesterday I had the privilege of breaking my fast with hundreds of city workers who share the same faith as I do. And to see them and to see the fact that they work such long hours and even longer commutes, and then for them to turn to their phone and open it up and see an elected official in that same city calling for their expulsion, it is not what those workers deserve. And it is not the kind of city that we want to build.
We want to build a city that is free of bigotry. And I appreciate what the commissioner said earlier, which is that we know that the fights against bigotry are intertwined. And even now, when I look at the many elected officials who are joining us here today, whether they be the borough president, a state senator, an assembly member, or a City Council member, they never pick and choose which bigotry they stand up against. If they see it, they stand up against it. And that's in many ways an inspiration for how I think all of us should be.
Question: And speaking of that, it was reported yesterday, I believe, that your wife provided illustrations for an essay written by someone who has referred to at least some Israeli citizens as parasites, cockroaches, [and] demons. Was your wife aware of that writer's kind of rhetoric before she took that job? And do you think that type of rhetoric is acceptable about it?
Mayor Mamdani: I think that that rhetoric is patently unacceptable. I think it's reprehensible. And as is common for freelance illustrators, the First Lady was commissioned to illustrate an excerpt of a book by a third party. She has never engaged with or met with the author, nor had she seen the tweets that you're referring to. And we stand in our administration — and I can tell you our administration — which is separate from the First Lady, as she doesn't have a role within it against bigotry of all forms. And we do so unflinchingly because every single New Yorker deserves a place that they can call home without having to be wary of being their full self when they do so.
Question: I wanted to ask you, you know, speaking of funding this new office, you're already kind of facing financial headwinds when it comes to the city budget. How do you expect to fund a new office with that in the background? And then I have a follow-up question. You know, the City Council says that they're not going to give you permission to go into the reserves.
So how do you expect to continue with your plan to really go into the reserves and fund the city? And the S&P has also put out their own outlook when it comes to the finances of the city, and it does not look good. So I'm wondering why keep the same strategy if you have so much pushback?
Mayor Mamdani: Here in New York City, we have a legal requirement of balancing the budget at every moment that we introduce it, whether it be the preliminary budget, the executive budget, or the adopted budget. We inherited a fiscal deficit of about $12 billion when I took office. The actions we took reduced that $12 billion to about $7 billion. The governor's commitment to the health and vitality of our city translated into a $1.6 billion commitment that then reduced that $7 billion to $5.4 billion.
Now, in the preliminary budget, we had to reduce the $5.4 billion to zero to provide the legally required balanced budget. To do so, we had to use elements of the rainy day fund. Now, I am fully committed to building a city that is back on firm financial footing, one that can reckon with a financial crisis that, frankly, is greater than that that we faced in the Great Recession. Now, the way that we do that is in partnership. And so, I am looking forward to working not only with the governor, state legislators and state legislative leaders, [but also] with the City Council, and I will always consider whatever plans are put forward to provide alternatives to that matter.
I have said that I think the two best ways for us to reckon with this fiscal deficit [are] by taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers and the most profitable corporations. And also, by ending the drain that has long characterized the city's relationship to the state. And I will just say that I'm incredibly heartened —we have a number of state legislators here who are fresh off of voting for one-house budgets, and those are budgets that put forward $5 billion in commitments in a mixture of new revenue and a change in the cost-sharing towards the city.
And that is the very kind of partnership that could put our city back on the firm financial footing that's required. And that's why I think any changes in economic outlooks to the city's fiscal health are premature, because they do not take into account the commitment we're seeing from our partners in Albany, commitment that would ensure we can continue to deliver for the people of the city and do so while not just protecting what we have but advancing an agenda for everyone.
And that's also where this office comes in, because there can never be a question of our commitment to LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers. It is not one that is negotiable. It is one that we actually have to deliver upon. And I would like to also just invite our elected officials to come and join me for the signing. Thank you.
[Signs Executive Order.]
###